I am a terrible cook

[vilamoura2003]

I get so disheartened with cooking - I really am a terrible cook 😕

Over the last few days I have attempted to cook from recipes and it has taken me ages, and didn't turn out anything like what the picture looks like.

I have attempted lamb kleftiko tonight as a treat for my husband as we have not long got back from Greece. It was terrible 😱 It had been in the oven for 2 hours however the carrots and the potatoes were still hard/only half cooked. The lamb was ok but it was a watery mess, took me ages and tasted gross 🤷‍♀️

We get on ok with spag bol, chilli, curry (out of a jar), salmon with new pots and veg, sausage and mash. But I feel so disappointed with myself and feel quite a failure 🙄

You clearly can cook, because you can cook some things! You just need to expand that repertoire.

Carrots being rock hard after 2hs makes me think that your oven is dodgy. Could you buy an oven thermometer and check?

Then get yourself a really clear cookbook. (Jamie's Ministry of Food?) and work through it.

If you can, try cooking a few new things just for you when the rest of the household is out. I often do that with new stuff as it takes the pressure off. It's usually ok, so I have he confidence to do it for a crowd!

Try hello fresh or Gousto. You can read the recipes before you choose them and pick easier ones with less steps to start with

Failing is not trying in the first place so you definitely don't fall into that bracket - it just sounds like you'v had some bad lack, bad recipes and are now lacking in confidence as a results
I found the Delia Smith How To Cook series of books really helpful when I was learning to cook as it teaches you lots of different skills - and the BBC Good Food magazine is fab too as it shows you a "difficulty rating" for each recipe - and sometimes shows step by step preparation too - the website has a speical "How To" section

Pleas don't give up!

Why not try making a curry from scratch rather than a jar - like this one www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3235/thai-green-chicken-curry

I feel so disappointed with myself and feel quite a failure

Me too, but for entirely different reasons.

Were they whole carrots?

I think kleftiko is a low and slow meal. As in 3/4 hours at 300 degrees? If it's a leg of lamb it wouldn't fall off the bone. It'd need another hour at least.

Get an instant pot. I am a TERRIBLE cook and don't enjoy the process. Am now a convert using this machine. It's so easy and foolproof dishes. In super fast time. I actually made restaurant quality risotto in 30mins! I have being telling all and sundry about it, I should get a cut from them!

You just need more practice in cooking. Don't loose hope and try some other recipes. I'm the cook of the family and I'm using How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman as my guide. Try to check it out.

Thank you for your replies - I will definitely look into the books that have been suggested!

I think maybe @Ceeeeeelia 's suggestion of cooking whilst the family is out and there is no pressure is a great idea!